The Royal's Christmas offering sells itself as an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic novel, but the show bears so little resemblance to the Victorian original that even Carroll might have a job recognising his own story. We are led to expect a play, but this high-spirited, brightly coloured and banal evening is very much in the panto tradition, complete with audience singalongs, bad jokes and pies in the face. It's a programming decision that seems all the curiousier given that the theatre's Derngate auditorium is playing host to a fully fledged pantomime, Aladdin.

The characters are recognisable, and so are some of the situations – but who needs willy and jam tart jokes, the Mad Hatter's tea party delivered as some kind of naff TV game show or the episode with the duchess as a Punch and Judy routine? It comes all wrapped up with a message designed to teach grumpy Alice the difference between silly and stupid.

These additions, along with the unnecessary and overcomplicated framing structure, don't do anything to disguise the lack of narrative, and detract from the infinitely more engaging absurdities that are embedded in the story. But most damaging of all, this Wonderland lacks any sense of topsy-turvy, dreamlike wonder. The cast work hard, but it's a show that fails to learn its own lesson. Silly can be sublime, as Carroll proved, but dumbing down is just plain stupid.